The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has appointed a third clinician, Dr Ian Davidson, to complete its three-way approach to reviewing mental health services.
Dr Davidson joins GIRFT to focus on Crisis and Acute Adult Mental Health. He is currently a consultant psychiatrist at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and a quality lead for the trust.
Professor Tim Briggs, chair of GIRFT and national director of clinical quality and efficiency at NHS Improvement, said: “We are delighted to welcome our third mental health clinical lead, Dr Ian Davidson, to the GIRFT programme to complete the clinical support for our mental health workstream. He joins us with extensive experience and frontline insight to support the national review, which will be published in 2019/20.
“Dr Davidson joins our growing team of 42 clinicians out in the field engaging with NHS trusts. By showing them a reflection of their own data in proven data analysis packs, he’ll be supporting trusts to improve patient care and outcomes across the NHS in England.”
Dr Davidson joins forces with GIRFT’s two other mental health clinical leads:
• Dr Sridevi Kalidindi, leading on Mental Health Rehabilitation; and
• Dr Guy Northover, leading on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Mental health is one of 37 surgical and medical workstreams under review by GIRFT.
Dr Davidson said: “Acute mental health services are a vital part of improving mental health and wellbeing for local communities, although across the country they have been experiencing huge and rising pressures.
“I am delighted that the GIRFT acute mental health programme will be an opportunity to learn and share best practice, and to reduce unwarranted variation to make best use of available resources to deliver the best outcomes for people and their local communities.”
President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Professor Wendy Burn, endorsed Dr Davidson’s appointment and said: “The Royal College of Psychiatrists warmly welcomes the appointment of Dr Ian Davidson to the GIRFT mental health workstream team. The aims of GIRFT to help services learn and develop are important to the quality of care patients receive.
“Acute mental health services are underfunded and struggle to recruit and retain staff. Anything that can be done to improve efficiencies and care will be very welcome.
“Dr Davidson has many years of experience in the practical implementation of projects which drove up standards and is the perfect person for this role.”
Read Dr Davidson’s biography here
